Florida's white population saw its smallest increase this decade, according to U.S. census figures released today. Meanwhile, a slight jump in Florida's minority population bucked the state's overall slowdown in growth.

Minorities now make up 39 percent of Floridians, with the state's black population the second-highest in the nation, surpassed only by New York. The number of blacks in the state grew by 1.46 percent from July 1, 2006, to July 1, 2007.

The state also has the third-largest Hispanic population in the nation, after California and Texas. The population of Hispanics in Florida grew by 3.61 percent.

The state's Asian population saw the largest increase of any minority group, growing by 3.67 percent.

Mark Mather, a demographer with the Population Reference Bureau in Washington, D.C., said the relatively high growth of Asians in the state was partly because of that group's small size, so any gains would be significant.

"But over time, if that rapid growth continues, Asians should start to narrow the gap with the Latino population," Mather said.

Mather said the slight growth of the state's white non-Hispanic population, which increased only 0.04 percent from 2006 to 2007, could be partly linked to lower fertility rates among whites. Most white women have on average two children. Latino women, by contrast, average three.

Another factor is that retirees are no longer flocking to Florida in the same numbers as in previous years.

Because of rising housing costs and other factors, retirees are delaying moving to Florida or elsewhere.

"It used to be just Florida," Mather said. "Now, there are a lot of other alternatives for people."

Still, today's census report shows Florida has the nation's highest percentage of people 65 or older: 17 percent of the population.

As in the rest of the country, Florida's minority populations continue to grow. Of the nation's 301.6 million people, 34 percent are minorities. That shift is amplified in Florida, where the minority population is nearing 40 percent, moving it closer to a state in which a majority of the population would be members of minority groups.. Hawaii, New Mexico, California and Texas as well as the District of Columbia have minority populations that make up more than 50 percent of the population.